The moon may be new, and the director may be different (Chris Weitz takes over the reins from Catherine Hardwicke), but otherwise, the second installment of the “Twilight” saga remains, for better or worse, exceptionally faithful to its 2008 beginnings.

Understandably not wanting to mess with that $350 million worldwide success, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” is content to stay within those tonal parameters rather than venture out in potentially more intriguing or substantial directions, which should suit its ferocious adolescent female fan base just fine.

The uninitiated, meanwhile, might find that the film’s deliberately unhurried 130-minute running time feels like a Cullen clan eternity.

Anticipation is sufficiently high that opening weekend box office for the Summit Entertainment release is guaranteed to be anything but anemic, most likely eclipsing the $70 million taken by “Twilight” this time last year. The film bows Friday (November 20).

Alluding more obviously to the “Romeo & Juliet” vibe of author Stephenie Meyer’s books, “New Moon” finds heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) caught in a tricky triangular relationship with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

Read the rest of the review, here.

As Summit Entertainment LLC releases the sequel to “Twilight” in theaters today, the studio is searching for a follow-up to the vampire series that has so far made $384 million in global ticket sales.

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” based on the second of Stephenie Meyer’s four best-selling novels, may bring in $600 million worldwide, said David Davis, founder of Arpeggio Partners LLC, a consulting firm to movie studios and film investors based in Santa Monica, California.

The success of “Twilight” has allowed Summit to expand its film slate at a time when other studios are retrenching. The challenge for the studio is to find new properties to replace “Twilight” once the series ends, Davis said.

Read more, here.

]]> http://www.lionandlamblove.org/new-moon-money-lots-of-it/feed/ 0 http://www.lionandlamblove.org/la-times-does-give-new-moon-a-great-review/ http://www.lionandlamblove.org/la-times-does-give-new-moon-a-great-review/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:37:14 +0000 Michaella http://www.lionandlamblove.org/?p=9528

“This is the last time you’ll ever see me,” Edward Cullen says to Bella Swan. As if.

Spoken early on in “New Moon,” that promise is one of the least likely to be kept in movie history. With most of that film still to unfold, and two more adaptations of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series in the works, the next due out as soon as next summer, the world is going to see as much of Kristen Stewart’s melancholy Bella and Robert Pattinson’s undead Edward as it can take. Maybe more.

In the short term, however, Edward is as good as his word and “New Moon” suffers as a result. Constrained by the plot of the novel, the film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing the project of the crazy-in-love energy that made “Twilight,” the first entry in the series, such a guilty pleasure.

“New Moon,” which has been grandly titled “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” in honor of that first episode’s huge success, marks the franchise’s entrance into the self-protective, don’t rock the boat phase of its existence, which is inevitable but a bit of a shame.

Read the rest of the review,here.

]]> http://www.lionandlamblove.org/la-times-does-give-new-moon-a-great-review/feed/ 1 http://www.lionandlamblove.org/msns-new-moon-review-3-out-of-5-stars/ http://www.lionandlamblove.org/msns-new-moon-review-3-out-of-5-stars/#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:06:48 +0000 Michaella http://www.lionandlamblove.org/?p=9523

The Twilight Saga: New Moon” demonstrates that werewolves, while also belonging to the dangerous-when-biting class, are a lot more fun than vampires. They favor knee-length shorts, sneakers and seem most comfortable when shirtless, probably because their abs are so hot they require constant airing out. Instead of lamenting the eternal state of their being, they romp in the forest or go cliff diving. They maintain a core temperature of 108, enjoy snacks of muffins the size of small cats, and have decent senses of humor.

Ultimately, this makes Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), despite the furriness, far more suitable boyfriend material for any teenage girl than vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), although don’t bother telling Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) that. The heroine of the “Twilight Saga” turns 18 on the day our story begins, but she still doesn’t listen to reason. That’s not her thing, as we learned in “Twilight,” Catherine Hardwicke’s dark and emotionally stormy introduction to the cinematic versions of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling four-part series, in which Bella fell in love with Edward, a noble vampire who sparkles like diamonds (rather than ignites, as is traditional in the vampire mythology) in sunlight and can only kiss her for a few seconds before his animal instincts are awakened. Paging Vampire Bill, who has figured out how to satisfy himself and his woman.

Read the rest of the review, here.

MSN has put together a little piece to full everyone in on all things Twilight. Now it’s just the basics, but even I needed a bit of a refresher and what better time to do so then now! Get pumped for New Moon and caught up on all the latest Twilight news thanks to MSN (and L3, right haha).

Intrigued by the frenzy around the hot cast, even non-Twi-hards want to sink their teeth into “New Moon.” So, before the latest “Twilight” film opens Friday, catch up on who’s with whom, on-screen and off.

“Twilight” 101: New teen in town Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) falls for classmate Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a vampire. Find a full summary.

The story continues: “New Moon” expands the role of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). He crushes on Bella. He transforms into a wolf. He goes shirtless in the trailer.

OMG, are they? Fans scrutinize the real-life relationship between Stewart and Pattinson. Analyze their body language in paparazzi pics.

Locked lips: Stewart was asked if she and Pattinson were dating. Her answer?

Swift, wolf? Meanwhile, Lautner is linked to Taylor Swift. The country music sensation alluded to him in her recent “Saturday Night Live” monologue. See the clip.

She might bite: Reminding its creator of Kirsten Dunst in “Interview With the Vampire,” Swift has an open invitation to appear on this vampire TV series.

New kid on the block: Dakota Fanning joins the cast of “New Moon” as Jane, a member of the powerful Volturi coven.

Author, author: Stay-at-home Arizona mom Stephenie Meyer is the brains behind “Twilight.” (She’s sold how many books?!) Find clips of her Oprah interview.

Source.

Fan appreciation: An estimated 3,000 screaming fans were present. Some traveled from as far away as Canada, Minnesota and Florida to catch a glimpse of the New Moon stars. “I don’t think most people will get to experience something quite like this,” said Pattinson, who was flanked by bodyguards. Stewart also had heavy security on the carpet. “This is what you work for,” she said, looking at the crowd. “The only reason we make movies is because we care about people.” Said Facinelli: “We’re just blessed to have a really strong fan base. I’m a fan of the books, so I know where it comes from.” Fanning knew what to expect: “I’ve never been a part of something this big before. I heard what it was like last time, so I was prepared.”

Best fan signs: “Team whatever I can get,” “Team Ed-cob. Why not have both?” “Team Jacob, cuz real men don’t sparkle,” “Jasper: I’d cut myself in front of you any day.” And yes, there were even naughtier signs.

Sound man: “I learned my lesson from the first premiere,” said Lutz, who then admitted, “I have earplugs, but I left them at home. They were bright orange.” As for his character, “Emmett is so happy-go-lucky. But when stuff hits the fan, he steps in and takes care of business.”

Surreal moment: “I just feel really grateful,” Reed said. “I totally feel like I don’t deserve this much attention. I want to tell them that I shouldn’t even be in this film.” …

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Surprised? Don’t be. “New Moon” is big news. When “Twilight” hit theaters almost a year ago, no one really expected it to grow into the phenomenon its become. This Friday though, that’s the real litmus test.

“Twilight” did almost $70 million in its opening weekend last year, comparable to the past weekend’s “2012,” which brought in $65 million. While it certainly isn’t a bad opening, the phenomenon feels bigger than that. Maybe it’s because, working at MTV, I’m constantly inundated with “Twilight” coverage. Whatever the reason, “New Moon”’s weekend earnings will offer additional insight to just how large Stephenie Meyer’s series has become. We already have a pretty good idea, by way of Fandango.

The word from the online ticket retailer, via Deadline Hollywood, is that “New Moon” has surpassed the competition to become their number one advance ticket seller of all time. It’s interesting to note that, of the other four movies, three were released this year or last: “Twilight” (#5), “The Dark Knight” (#4) and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (#3). “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” (#2) hit theaters in 2005 and was the previous title-holder. But “New Moon” has now even bested the long-awaited reveal of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader.

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BEVERLY HILLS, California — By now, loyal Stephenie Meyer fans feel like they know every nuance of her best-selling vampire series. Every word has been recited like Shakespeare, every moment of passion recounted breathlessly, every pivotal moment re-enacted in countless YouTube videos. But with “New Moon” finally about to hit theaters, the film’s stars insist that they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

“I think it looks completely different [than they'll expect],” Robert Pattinson told us recently, insisting that director Chris Weitz has chosen a color palette (most notable in scenes involving the meadow and the confrontation in Italy) that is far more epic than fans might be used to. “I mean, just the colors and everything. It sounds really technical, but the first one had a kind-of blue tint to everything, which was to emphasize the coldness of Portland and everything.

“The colors in this are much more brown and gray, and it looks warmer than the first one,” RPattz added. “I guess it’s because of Jacob’s introduction; I think that’s what the idea was.”

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Yep, we’ve seen “New Moon.” And the best news we can give you might be this: We want to see it again. And again.

Most of us here at MTV News make no secret of the fact that we’re fans of the franchise, and if you’re reading this story, we know you’ll see this latest “Twilight” installment — which is why we wanted to write something that doesn’t so much say, “See this movie,” as it says, “Don’t worry; this movie is all you’re hoping for.”

So, after a few days of reflection, here’s our spoiler-free list of the ways that “New Moon” delivers:

Maybe it’s because the franchise’s stars are one year older. Perhaps it’s because of director Chris Weitz. Or, most likely, the stars have the confidence of now knowing that these films will be seen by millions and are feeling more comfortable stepping into the skin of the characters they’ll be known as forever. Whatever the reason, every returning actor is better in this film than in “Twilight.” Most notable is Taylor Lautner — who displays incredible screen presence and physicality in his first true starring role — and Kristen Stewart, who perfectly conveys the heartbreak and insanity of Bella’s fractured mental state with every scream, sob and adrenaline-fueled wicked grin.

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WE know, courtesy of Us Weekly, that Kristen Stewart spreads butter on her blueberry bagels. People magazine just chronicled her alleged romance with her “Twilight” co-star, Robert Pattinson, in an entire issue devoted to the movie franchise. And everyone from “Access Hollywood” to The New Zealand Herald has chewed over her supposedly “moody,” “mopey,” “melancholy” demeanor. What hardly anyone outside Hollywood knows — or at least recognizes amid the tabloid frenzy, hyperventilating fans and cheesiness of the “Twilight” movies — is perhaps the most interesting thing about her: At 19 Ms. Stewart is considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation, with Oscar winners like Sean Penn and Jodie Foster lining up to offer praise.

“I do wish that people would focus more on the work, and I can’t say that I don’t take it personally,” said Ms. Stewart, who reprises her role as Bella Swan, an ordinary high school girl who falls in love with a sensitive vampire, in the forthcoming film “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.”

“But I understand it because what you do as an actor is so tied up in who you are as a person,” she continued with a deep sigh. “What really kills me — it really rips me up — is when people think I’m abrasive, inconsiderate or ungrateful because I don’t go outside in a bikini and wave to the paparazzi. Come on!”

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